


Parker Luck

by dabforpalermo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Found Family, Homeless Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26262154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dabforpalermo/pseuds/dabforpalermo
Summary: Peter Parker is many things. Enhanced. Hungry. Tired. Good at science. Full of grief and mourning and teenage hormones.But one thing he never expected to be?Homeless.
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 121
Kudos: 509





	1. Chapter One

The cardboard sign is tattered, although the message written in almost ancient sharpie is still literate, though the frantic chicken scratch is mediocre at best. It’s simple, but the message written is filled with humiliation and hurt. 

‘Any spare change could help a lot :)’

If it were completely up to Peter, he wouldn’t have a sign at all. But because damn his Parker Luck, and damn the stupid spider that granted him his stupid metabolism, he needs as much money for food as he can get. He wishes it were enough to last a whole day. 

‘Side businesses are weak,’ Peter writes in his journal that night. ‘All I ever get is a bunch of guilt and 5 dollars at the very most. Nobody carries change in New York, because of people like me.’ 

People like him. Those who pickpocket and hold captive, until an address is found and the wallet can be shipped back to whatever poor soul happened to walk past the sketchy grocery store, filled with proper cards but lacking any and all loose money that was carried. 

People like him. 

People who are completely and utterly homeless. 

***

“- and then I was all like, watch out, man, you’re gonna make me drop this, and then I’m gonna have to turn you in for public indecency, because you most certainly cannot be outside wearing a pair of see-through boxers- are you even listening?”

Peter looks up from his lap. “Hm? Yeah, yeah. Indecent exposure, weird subway interactions.”

“What’s going on with you?”

The simple question shouldn’t affect Peter as much as it does. See, the thing is, a couple months back, that question could be deflected with a wave of the hand and a small shrug. But not now. Then again, Peter’s never been a good liar. 

“Just tired, Ned.”

“You’ve been tired for a while now,” his friend murmurs. It’s empathetic, but something about the words still sting for no apparent reason. 

“I know. I’ll get better.” 

Michelle slides into the seat beside the two of them, handing Peter a bag. Although nobody knows about his situation, everyone around him can notice that he’s obviously not well, so his friends try and help out a bit. Michelle brings him a lunch everyday, and Ned tries to fatten him up with his mother’s homemade dinners whenever he can convince Peter to come over after school. Ned’s mom always tells him he’s too skinny. 

Peter gives MJ a half smile, opening it up. There’s two sandwiches, as well as a handful of lunch snacks you’d find in the children’s section of the grocery store, topped off with a doodle of a middle finger laying face up in the paper bag. He shakes his head and laughs quietly. 

“Anyways, what are you guys doing this weekend?” Ned props his face up with his hand, looking at the two of them, and Peter feels the unholy twinge of sadness spike through his blood. Ned asks this every week, and Peter tries his hardest to stay away from the two, not wanting them to get too close and figure out how he lives. 

Michelle knows when he’s being sneaky, because she always knows, and gives him a look before turning back as Ned continues talking. “-because there’s this new movie out and my dad was gonna take me but he realized he actually has to be in Washington for the weekend, and I would totally go with him but I already kinda bought tickets for us to go so-“

Peter pinches Michelle under the table as she yawns. “Yeah, we’ll come.”

“Great!”

Great. 

***

That night, there’s not many people outside. It’s the middle of the night, mid October, so the people of New York don’t like being caught in the cold. Peter almost thinks he’s out of luck, before he spots a man in a fancy looking suit, distracted by a call he’s taking, a wallet visible from his back pocket. 

Bingo. 

Peter slowly gets up, tracks the man with his eyes. There’s something familiar about his frame, but he can’t place it, so he doesn’t worry too much. For Ned and Michelle. Do it for them. 

He creeps up behind him, hand sneaking out towards the wallet, getting a grip on it and pulling and then running-

Running. Why isn’t he running?

The man turns around and grips his wrist, a glare on his face as his fingers tighten painfully. Peter squeaks out in pain, trying to back away, but the man is too strong. 

“Yeah, give me a sec, I’ll call you back.”

Peter scans his face, and then realization hits him like a semi. 

Tony Stark. The billionaire. 

‘I tried to pickpocket from freaking Iron Man!’, his brain screams. Peter struggles in his grip more. 

“And what do you think you’re doing?”

Peter glares, hopefully somewhat intimidating. Ned once told him that he looks like a kicked puppy when he tries to be scary (and Peter did not turn bright pink.)

“Uh, are you deaf? I said, what are you doing?”

“Just- just take it back, I’m sorry-“ he digs through his brain for knowledge on what to do to diffuse the situation, but nothing is coming up. He wants to run. 

Tony tilts his head slightly and scans his face. “You look like you’re 12.”

“‘M fifteen,” Peter mumbles, then closes his mouth. Tony looks down at his tattered appearance, then around at the people of New York. 

“I’m gonna let go of your hand, and you’re not gonna run, okay? We’re in agreement?”

Peter nods. 

“I need to hear you say it.”

He swallows down his pride. “I won’t run.”

Slowly, the fingers unclench around his wrist, and Peter brings it up to his chest, rubbing the sore skin. Tony digs through the wallet that he’s now holding, offering up all the cash that resides inside. Peter nearly faints. 

“You got a phone?”

He nods again, too shocked for words. Tony holds his hand out, and for some reason, Peter trusts him, so he places his phone in the billionaires palm. His background is an older photo of him, MJ, and Ned. Peter is fast asleep on Ned’s chest as Michelle flips off the camera. MJ called him a loser for making it his lock screen but he doesn’t care. He likes to look at the two things that keep him going when everything else is falling apart. 

Tony turns it on, tutting at the sight of no password. “That’s a cry for stolen identities.” He shakes his head and adds a contact to his phone. “You can call this if you need anything. Don’t expect me to pick up, though. I’m a busy man.”

“Of course, sir.” He pockets his phone, as well as the money Tony gave him. “Thank you, and, uh- well- yeah. Thanks.” 

Tony simply raises an eyebrow at him, nodding, then walks away as promptly as he entered. Peter shuffles through the bills and counts over $200 just in cash. He quickly grabs his journal and a pen, starts writing his plan for what to buy, and goes to sleep happy, for the first time in a long while.


	2. Chapter Two

One thing about Tony Stark is that he doesn’t answer for anybody. Well, anybody other than Steve. And Bruce, and Nat is obviously up there. And Thor (on occasion). So, there’s quite a few people that he answers to. But there is nobody who’s ever gotten through to him at 1:50am. 

“Boss? Incoming call from-.”

“Yeah, put it through.”

Steve shifts from beside him, selfishly wrapping an arm around Tony’s chest to try and keep him in place. Tony grabs his phone and snuggles back into Steve. 

“‘Ello?”

“Mr. Stark?”

“Kid?”

“Uh.. I need help.”

***

Tony finds himself thinking a lot as he drives down to Queens. Thinking about Steve, thinking about how he would feel with adding a teenager to their family, and most importantly, thinking about how tired he is. 

Peter’s slumped in a back alley when Tony reaches his destination. His face is bleeding profusely out of his nose and a cut on his cheek, plus his entire body looks like it got kicked around like a rag doll. 

“Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to you?”

“Is’a funny story, actually..”

Tony kneels down next to the teenager, hooking his thumb under his chin and tilting his head to assess the damage. “What day is it?”

“Uh… Monday?”

Tony sighs quietly. “Let’s get you back to my house.”

He slings an arm under Peter’s shoulder and helps him stand up, sitting him down in the backseat of his car before stepping in and driving well over the speed limit back to the tower. 

“Mis’sr S’ark..”

“Yeah, kid?”

“Y’didn’t havta… havta come pick me up.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t leave me many options. Look, we’re here.”

Peter grunts, forcing himself to open his eyes. In any other situation, he would be snapping photos and sending them off to Ned, fangirling so hard he would probably pass out. Now, he’s worried about falling unconscious under different circumstances. 

“C’mon.” Tony transfers over to his side of the car, opening the door and unbuckling his seatbelt. “I can’t carry you, kid.”

“‘M light. Pinky swear.”

Tony ignores the opposing finger, taking a deep breath and lifting him, shocked by the feather light weight of the kid. He quickly brings him down to the Medbay, laying him down on one of the beds and washing his hands. He pulls a chair beside the bed and straightens his back. 

“Alright,I’m gonna need to take a look.”

He feels weird, oddly paternal, even, as Peter whines and curls up on the uncomfortable bed, seeking rest and heali

“‘M fine. I’ll be good by morning.”

“You have a concussion.”

“Con-smushion.”

“Very mature.” Tony grabs an alcohol wipe and dabs away the drying blood from his face. He furrows his eyebrows as the wounds appear to be closing on their own. He blames it on his exhaustion and keeps moving, finding a deep cut going from his jawline down to his chest. 

“You gotta ditch the hoodie.”

Peter mumbles something, barely awake, but Tony flicks his non injured cheek to wake him up. “Rise and shine, kid. For real, shed the sweater. It’ll do you good anyway, you look like a walking Old Navy ad.”

Peter swats at his hands, turning onto his side and closing his eyes again. Tony sighs, reaching out and wiping a strand of hair away from his face. The boy is so, so young.

“Tony?”

He flinches, moving his hand away from the kid and clearing his throat. Steve frowns and takes a step into the room. 

“Who’s that?”

“Uhm- we aren’t really on a first name basis yet.”

Steve walks toward the bed, scanning his eyes over Peter. “Tony..”

“I found him on the streets last week. Gave him some money and my number. I wasn’t… I wasn’t expecting him to call.”

“But he did.”

“But he did.” Tony exhales, looking back at Peter. 

“He’s injured.”

“I’m letting him sleep it off.”

Steve places a hand on the back of Tony’s neck, squeezing comfortingly. “I’ll watch him. Come sleep.”

Tony frowns. “Can you just give me a minute with him?”

His husband doesn’t reply, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Tony, still worried about the cut on his neck, gently tugs the boys hoodie down, but something stops him. A piece of red fabric sticks out, catching his attention, and he slowly takes the rest of the sweater off, his eyes scanning over the eye catching material. 

Tony is familiar with the spider-boy. Hell, he’s been trying to find the scrawny nutjob wearing a onesie for the last couple months, but to no luck. He sighs, folding the hoodie and pulling the thin blanket over the kids body, narrowing his eyes as he makes sense of the injuries. 

Before he can overthink it once again, Steve knocks on the door, and Tony figures, hey, the kid won’t leave before Tony wakes up. So, he leaves. 

The next morning, Peter is gone before he can even ask for his name.

***

When the field trip is announced, Peter wants to curl up in a hole and die. They’re handed permission slips, which demand both a parents signature and $40. Peter sighs in relief and heads to the teacher after class. 

“Uh.. Mr. Harrington?”

“Yeah, Pete?”

Peter shuffles his feet on the ground and looks around, double checking that they’re alone in the room. “I can't afford this.”

The teacher frowns slightly. “You can’t get the money from your aunt?”

“Money’s tight right now. But it’s fine. I’ll just skip this one.” He turns to leave. 

“Wait! Peter, you’re one of the smartest people at this school. You deserve this trip more than anyone else. I’ll pay for you, okay? Just keep it between us.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t. But I want to.”

Peter gives him a small smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes and leaves the classroom.

“Dude. This is the best day of my life.” Ned grins, launching into a ramble about all the things he’s going to do on the trip. 

“You okay? You don’t seem as excited as I thought you’d be.”

“It’s not that bit of a deal, Ned.” 

“Peter, it’s the freaking Avengers Tower! That’s the biggest deal ever!”

Peter rests his back against the lockers as Ned grabs his textbooks, shoving them in his bag and closing it up again. 

“Seriously, what’s your problem, man?”

“I don’t have a problem.”

“The Peter I know would be doing backflips at this news.”

“I just don’t want to go, Ned. That’s it.”

“You don’t want to do anything, Peter!”

Peter stills, his eyes dropping to the floor. Ned exhales and hauls his backpack over his shoulder. “I’m sorry-“

“No, you’re right. I’m just in a mood. I’m excited to go, Ned. I really am.”

Ned gives him a small smile and punches his shoulder lightly. “C’mon. My mom said you can come over.”

They walk out of the school and Peters phone vibrates in his pocket, but he refuses to look, already knowing who’s texting him for the millionth time in the last couple weeks. As he and Ned near the exit of the parking lot, a shiny motorcycle catches his eyes. but Peter stops and nods his head toward the kid who climbs on top. 

“Who’s that?”

“New kid. He’s in my pre-cal. He’s actually really smart. Kind of an asshole.”

The boy meets Peter’s eyes, giving him a wink before pushing his helmet down his face. Peter clears his throat and keeps walking as Ned excitedly rambles. 

“Okay, so when we go to the towers, I think we should wear our Captain America and Iron Man hoodies. I mean, now that their beef is settled, we can wear those in public. We can even bring back the halloween costume idea-“

Peter can’t help but feel the unfathomed anxiety rising in his gut. He only prays that Tony’s forgotten about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry ive been very inactive but i hope you enjoy!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for bullying and blood

“Tony.”

Steve’s voice is tired, but not lacking the form of structure he often holds, especially when Tony is being stubborn. 

“What.”

Steve raises an eyebrow, leaning on Tony’s desk. “It’s almost 10.”

“And?”

“10 at night. You haven’t eaten today. Just come upstairs, I have food for you.”

Tony doesn’t look up from his papers. “Steve, this is really important.”

“Whatever it is can wait. Please, Tones.”

Tony sighs, resting his chin on his palm and meeting Steve’s eyes. His husband offers him a small smile, his eyes filled with concern. “Fine. You’re lucky you’re handsome.”

Steve grabs his hand and pulls him up, pressing a firm kiss to the side of his head. “Thank you.”

They walk to the elevator together, Steve stroking his thumb over the back of Tony’s hand. “You need to shower and sleep.”

“I don’t have time, Cap.”

Steve furrows his eyebrows and brings Tony’s hand to his lips. “Don’t start with that. You have all the time in the world.”

“I hate that metaphor. How does time get measured by the world-”

“Does your brain ever get tired?”

Tony shuts his mouth, following Steve to the kitchen and sitting down on the stool. He cracks his back and lets his forehead rest on the cool marble of the island for a minute. Steve rests his hand on the nape of Tony’s neck, massaging gently and trying to ease the tension out of the man. 

“C’mon. Eat.”

Tony obeys, his eyes getting heavier and heavier with every bite. Steve frowns. 

“You need to shower.”

“Just- run me a bath and sit with me? Please?”

“Fine. Just this one time.”

They both know it’s not going to be the only time. 

-

Peter kicks his foot against his desk rhythmically, chewing on the inside of his cheek as the class anxiously awaits for the teacher to come back with their test grades. He makes eye contact with MJ, who sends him a shrug and returns back to sketching something out. 

Footsteps catch his attention, and his eyes are at the door seconds before anybody else in the class. But this time, the teacher isn’t alone. 

“Everyone, this is Harley Keener. He has recently moved from Tennessee.” The boy looks at Peter and sends him a smirk. Peter looks down, feeling his cheeks heat up. 

“Harley, you can go sit between Peter and MJ.” 

Peter keeps his head forward, trying his hardest not to look at the new boy. He succeeds, until halfway through the class when he feels a tap on his calf. He turns to Harley and tilts his head. 

“Do you have a pencil?”

“I’m using mine.”

“Can I borrow it?”

Peter narrows his eyes and slowly hands Harley his pencil. The boy proceeds to fill out his notes, not once thanking Peter or handing the object back to him. Peter bites his tongue and pulls out a pen from his backpack, catching up where he left off. After class, Harley approaches him. 

“I think I’m in your next class.”

Peter takes his schedule, furrowing his eyebrows as he reads through the list of classes. “Yep. I can take you.”

Harley walks with him, a confident stride in his step. Peter feels the uncomfortable weight of silence over them until he clears his throat. 

“Uhm, are you gonna give my pencil back?”

“What if I need it for this class?”

“Then you should bring your own next time.”

Harley raises an eyebrow, stopping outside the classroom door and giving Peter an unimpressed look. “Wow. Whatever happened to hospitality?”

Peter rolls his eyes and moves past him, sitting down next to Ned. Mr. Harrington directs Harley to the seat behind Peter, and starts babbling on about the field trip. Peter can’t choose what to focus on, so instead, he thinks of the important things. 

The money Mr. Stark gave him is running low. He used the cash to book a hotel room for a night, not realizing it cost over half of the savings all together just for one night of rest in a regular bed. He used the remainder of the $200 to buy groceries and pain meds, along with a pretty high quality first aid kid so he doesn’t have to call Mr. Stark if he gets injured on patrol again. 

No matter what, he can’t let Mr. Stark find him. 

-

It takes Tony 2 weeks to find the boy. After countless child services cases and missing persons reports, he finally traces a name to the wonder-kid who stole his attention. Peter Benjamin Parker. 

Tony automatically recognizes the last name. It takes an hour or two of digging to find Peter’s parents, Mary and Richarch, who happened to be SI employees many years ago. He’s saddened by the news of their death. 

Steve sits with him while he takes in this information, writing down notable things, such as his school and last known home address. He stops Tony from flying out to Midtown right then, insisting he wait until the end of the week, or earlier, if Peter calls him. 

“Why are you so interested in this kid, Tony?”

“He’s- he’s different.”

“He’s homeless.”

“Well, yeah. But- nevermind. I just want to help him, okay?”

“Alright.” Steve grabs a screwdriver off the table and fiddles with it, letting Tony dwell in silence for a moment. “Wait. Midtown high is coming for a tour on Friday.”

Tony turns to look at him, a look of hope and excitement on his face. Steve raises an eyebrow. “Oh god. Don’t tell me you’re gonna crash the tour.”

“Of course I am.”

Steve sighs. “Of course you are.”

-

Friday comes sooner than Peter could expect. It’s been a couple days without a shower, having finally taken off his one good shirt and replacing it with an old hoodie he stole from a thrift store, his nostrils screaming for a change of clothes. But, his gym membership ran out, and he doesn’t exactly have $5 to spare on deodorant. So, he sucks it up and hopes nobody else can tell, beginning his walk to school. 

He’s nervous, to say the least. But in all the stories and reviews of field trips at the Avengers Tower, never once has he heard of Tony Stark coming down to visit the group. As long as he keeps a low profile, he should be fine. 

“Hey, Parker.”

Peter looks up, sending Harley a head nod and quickening his pace. He has a bad feeling about the boy, and the way he makes his insides turn can’t be a good sign. 

“Wait up, geez. For someone with such short legs, you sure do walk quick.”

“Just because you’re freakishly tall doesn’t mean I’m short.”

Harley snorts, resting his elbow on Peter’s shoulder. Peter shrugs him off and tightens his grip on his backpack. 

“I didn’t know we live so close. What street are you on?”

Peter panics. “I don’t give my address to strangers.”

“We’re hardly strangers, Parker.”

“Well we aren’t friends.”

Harley keeps quiet the rest of the way to school.

Ned is, of course, equivalent to an over excited puppy. He’s decked out in his Avenger sweater, holding onto his bag so tight his knuckles are turning white. As soon as he catches a glimpse of Peter, the words don’t stop flowing out of his mouth until they arrive at the tower. Peter is filled with bad memories and internal guilt. 

“Peter. Look at this. This is literally the biggest tower I have seen in my entire life. Oh my god- we are gonna be under the same roof as Tony Stark. And Captain America. And Bucky Barnes and-“

“Yes. I know.”

“What’s got you in a bad mood?”

Peter shrugs. “Harley is annoying.”

“Yeah, he’s a little slimy. But whatever. Just ignore him. And focus on this!”

Peter turns to give his friend a small smile. MJ joins the two and rolls her eyes. 

“Oh yes, a tower built off of capitalism and the 1%. I’m so very over the moon to be here. If we see Stark, I’m gonna rat him out so quickly that he resigns immediately.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Peter follows the class into the tower, making eye contact with Harley, who is currently chatting it up with Flash. He turns to give Peter an unimpressed look, before returning his attention to the tour guide who approaches them. 

“Hello, my name is Eva. I will be your guide for today. So, here are your badges. You must wear these at all times or you will be removed from the tower. Forcibly.”

Peter shivers, attaching the badge to his hoodie and tucking his hands in his pockets. 

“Now, we are gonna line you up, and this metal detector will alert us of any weapons you may be carrying.”

They go through the detector, the machine deeming them all as harmless teenagers. Peter pulls his hood over his head and looks around carefully, trying to spot any cameras that might sell him out. He’s not dumb. He’s well aware that Mr. Stark is looking for him, as per the 50 text messages he’s gotten since he escaped the tower. But, just like he ignored those, he’s planning on getting through the day with no mishaps. 

-

“Boss, Mr. Parker has entered the building.”

“Keep an eye on him, FRI.”

-

The first half of the tour is normal. They are shown around the labs, told not to touch anything or else the building will explode, the usual. It’s looking up, for the most part. Harley is avoiding him, and Ned finally stopped talking long enough to listen to Eva speak about the importance of lab safety. It’s going good, Peter decides. 

“Now, we are going to take a half hour break for lunch. I will bring you up to the cafeteria, where you can use the bathroom or get water and eat your food, because in the second half of the tour, we are going to be doing some building.”

Ned tugs on Peter’s sleeve, his eyes lit up in wonder. “I hope we get to see Iron Man.”

“We aren’t gonna see Iron Man, Ned. He’s busy doing other things.”

“And you say this as a close acquaintance of Tony Stark?”

“Sure do.”

They arrive at the cafeteria, sitting down at a table to eat. Ned and MJ dig into their food, but Peter can’t help the way his senses spike up in danger. Flash approaches their table, resting his hand on Peter’s shoulder, similar to how Harley did before. 

“Parker. I want to talk to you.”

“Piss off, Eugene. Can you leave us alone for one day?” MJ glares. Flash raises an eyebrow. Peter, trying to avoid confrontation, stands up and follows Flash to the bathroom, feeling Harley's eyes on the back of his head the entire walk there. Flash immediately shoves him against the wall. 

“I heard you’re giving my boy shit, hey?”

“Who?” Peter says in between choked breaths. 

“Harley. Just because you have a crush on him doesn’t give you permission to be a little bitch.” Flash throws the first hit, right on his nose. “In fact, I think you need to learn a lesson or two about respect.” 

Peter wants to respond, wants to fight back and not pull his punches, but since he couldn’t then, he can’t now, so he takes Flash’s hits, listening to him talk about the food chain and respect in high school. It’s nothing he hasn’t heard before. 

“Don’t fuck with my people, Parker, or else things will turn out way worse for you.”

Peter sits on the floor for a minute after he leaves, deciding to get up and wipe the blood from his nose. This field trip is painful, and all he wants to do is call May to pick him up. To call her and tell her he misses her, but he can’t. He grabs some tissue paper and holds it to his nose, not registering the door open until he hears a lock click. He looks up, examining himself in the mirror when a voice rings out in the quiet bathroom. 

“Well, Spiderman. You’re a tough guy to find.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry if there are any spelling or grammar errors I haven’t slept in like 3 days  
> comment or kudos give me life lolz


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i didn’t post for so long i forgot i was a real person then i thought i was god and let’s just say it’s been a tough couple weeks

“Well, Spiderman. You’re a tough guy to find.”

Peter jumps, straightening his spine and wiping a drop of blood from his nose. He looks toward the door and prepares to run. Tony leans against the wood and crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Y’know, I thought we were friends. I help you, you help me. Well, you owe me, pal.”

“I don’t-“

“This is where you zip it. This is you, no?” Tony pulls up a video of Spiderman, humming in content and moving closer to Peter. He grabs a towel and wets it with the tap water, holding Peter’s chin in one hand and pressing the paper to his nose. 

“So, you decided to be a teenage vigilante. Not the smartest move. But, it’s a brave one. I respect that. On the other hand, do you know what’s not a brave move?”

Peter flinches when Tony scratches the cut on his cheek. 

“Sneaking out of my tower in the middle of the night. That is plain stupid.”

“You’re gonna tell everyone..”

Tony makes a ‘psh’ noise, finishing cleaning his wounds. “If I wanted people to know, they would know, kid. I was one restless night away from sending another report out. Speaking of which-

Peter looks toward the door again. It would be so easy to bolt out. 

“You’re homeless.”

“Is that a question?”

“No. It’s an observation. You are underaged and living on the streets. What about your family?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Everyone has a family, kid, maybes it’s be a sperm donor or a group of friends. Don’t you have anyone you can stay with?”

“Nobody knows.”

“Except me.”

Peter sniffs, turning away from Tony and fixing his hair. He checks out the cut on his cheek, watching it stitch itself back together. 

“That’s amazing.”

“Yeah, well…”

“Listen. I have a proposition. Want to be an Avenger?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not.”

Peter shifts his weight on his feet. “I got.. homework.”

“God, your generation is batshit. I would’ve given up everything in my life to be an Avenger at your age. Well, there would be no Avengers without me, so, I guess I would never have had the option-“

“Can you just… keep it quiet? I promise I’ll stay out of your way.”

“No, kid. You don’t get it. I don’t want you out of my way, I want you to help me out.”

“What can I do for you?” Peter asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Tony cradles his left wrist in his other arm, stepping closer. 

“I want to see what’s going on with your freaky mutant DNA, and then I really want chinese for dinner. You down?”

5 year old Peter would slap current Peter in the face so hard he goes blind, but all he wants to do is refuse the offer and run out, back to Ned and MJ and stupid Harley and his stupid pretty face. Still, he knows it’s not the logical thing to do, so he pulls his chin up, just like May had told him years before, and inhales deeply. 

“When do we start?”

-

“Yo.”

Peter looks up, immediately taking a step back when he sees Harley. The boy doesn’t take his eyes off the speaker for the moment, but then he slowly turns to meet Peter's frightened ones, letting out a small breath. 

“I’m sorry.”

Peter furrows his eyebrows. “Bit late.”

“I didn’t mean for Flash to do that. I mean, he said he was gonna talk to you. Looks like he fuckin’ pistol whipped you, man.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you are. But I still feel shitty.”

Peter rolls his eyes and doesn’t reply, looking back to the front as the tour guide leads them through another exhibit. He walks as quick as he can to catch up with Ned and MJ, but Harley wraps a hand around his wrist and stops him. 

“Listen. I’m sorry. That’s the last time you’ll hear that shit from me. Just- ignore Flash. He’s actually nice once you get to know him.”

“Haven’t had much time to get to know him when he’s always shoving me in lockers,” Peter mumbles. The rest of the group is too far ahead for him to see, so instead he looks up at Harley again. 

“I’m trying to be nice, Parker.”

“Well try harder, Keener. You’re not doing a very good job of it.”

Harley sighs. “Fine. I’ll leave you alone.”

“Kinda hard now that we’re lost.”

“The elevators over there. Let’s just go and press some buttons and hopefully it’ll take us to the right floor.”

Peter follows Harley, standing silently in the elevator as the taller boy pushes buttons that neither of them understand. 

“Looks like a Christmas tree.”

Peter scratches his cheek to hide the small smile on his face. This kid is the reason he got beat up, he should not be laughing at his stupid jokes. 

After a minute, they land on a random floor. The doors open, and although the boys are expecting to enter a lab, they are thrown into a full training room. A loud grunt is heard and Harley throws an arm in front of Peter, almost shielding the boy before Peter pushes him away. He steps forward, spotting Captain America and the Winter Solider wrestling as Mr. Stark rambles in the background. 

“- and you’d think maybe the kid would be grateful or something but he just looked pissed. God, teenagers are so frustrating.”

“Tony. You sound like a dad already.”

“Fuck off, Barnes. I’ll hack into your arm again.”

“Make sure you turn the vibrate on.” Bucky smirks, causing Steve to groan and Tony to chuckle. It takes a minute until Harley clears his throat and the men notice the two teenagers in the room. Tony’s eyes immediately fall on Peter. 

“Hey- what the hell?” Bucky stands, his forehead wrinkling in concern. Steve takes a minute before recognizing Peter, giving him a small smile. “Tony, how did kids get access to this floor?”

Harley is frozen, his body still positioned in front of Peter as he speaks. “I don’t- I just started pressing random buttons. We got lost.”

“Well that doesn’t explain why you’re on a locked floor.”

Tony stands as well, whispering something into Bucky’s ear. 

“You have a random kid full access to the building?!”

“He’s not random.”

Harley turns to Peter, shrugging a little. “I’m sorry, Mr. Iron Man Sir, but uh.. we can just leave now. I’m sorry-“

“Don’t worry about it, kid. Look, are you guys hungry?”

Peter finally speaks. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

At the exact same moment, Harley grins. “I could eat.”

Peter elbows Harley in the side. “We’ll leave you guys alone.”

Tony stares at Peter as they rush back into the elevator, blinking heavily and dropping his head into his hands. 

“Why did you do that, Tony?”

“I trust him, okay? He’s.. he’s special.”

“How is he special?” 

“Bucky, just leave it. I trust him.” Steve frowns, grabbing boxing gloves from the floor and throwing them on. 

“Of course you trust your husband, Steve. But I don’t.”

“You don’t have to, Bucky Bear. Just know I have everyone’s best interest in mind.”

“Fine. Back on the vibrating topic-“

-

“Did we just meet the Avengers?”

“You need to keep it hush, okay? They’ll be pissed if they find out where we were.”

“We met the Avengers.. and they said you have access to the entire building.”

“They probably just got me mixed up with someone else,” Peter hisses, pressing the ground floor button as he reads the location from Ned’s phone. 

“Want to sneak into Black Widow's room and go through her underwear drawer?”

“You’re a pervert. That’s disgusting.”

“We could also go to Hawkeyes, if that’s more your style,” Harley's voice switches a little higher at the end. Peter presses a hand to the throbbing cut on his jaw and lets out a breath. 

“So what if it is?”

“No need to get snippy, Parker. Just wanted to know.”

They’re both quiet for a minute, until Harley speaks again. 

“In case you’re wondering, I like Black Widow and Hawkeye.”

The elevator doors slide open before either of them can get another word in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this isn’t a great chapter i just really wanted to write something and get it out there yk? let me know what you think :D


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow.. me uploading within a couple days... who am i????

Peter holds his backpack strap tightly as he stands in front of the building. He cranes his back up, seeing nothing but tinted windows and stories above stories. It’s the biggest building he’s ever seen, and though he was just here a couple hours ago, he didn’t have the time to observe his surroundings, and even though he doesn’t really have the time now, he still does. 

He twitches slightly as he enters, looking to the receptionist and giving her a smile. She looks him up and down, fixing a polite smile on her face as she takes in Peter’s grudgy appearance, sitting up straight. 

“How may I help you?”

“I’m, uh, here to see Mr. Stark?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Yes, you and every other person in this city.”

“I’m not- look, can you call him and check?”

“I’m afraid we don’t exactly have the time to call Mr. Stark and ask about every teenager swearing they are here to see him. He is a busy man.”

Peter sighs, wanting nothing more than to just go back to his alley and sleep for the night, but he scratches the nape of his neck and inhales. “Just- one second.”

He steps back, trying to casually press on Mr. Stark’s contact on his phone. His finger hovers over the ‘call’ button, but he puts his fear away and presses it. He holds the phone up to his ear and waits, only a ring and a half going by before the familiar voice answers. 

“Peter?”

“Uh, they won’t, um, let me in.”

“Did you tell them you’re here for me?”

“Yeah, apparently a lot of people are.”

Mr. Stark is quiet for a minute. “I’ll send Steve down. Stay put.”

“Thanks.”

Peter doesn’t want to hang up first, so he waits a couple seconds. 

“See you soon, kid.”

He pockets his phone after Tony ends the call, shuffling on his feet. The receptionist keeps a wary eye on him, but he simply ignores her glances and stares at the elevator. 

Steve steps through a minute or so later, giving Peter a smile and gesturing for him to come. The receptionist looks toward Steve and furrows her eyebrows. 

“He’s with me.”

Peter steps in the elevator, staring down at his feet. Steve clears his throat and Peter can almost cut the awkward silence with a knife. 

“Did you eat?”

“I, uh- I had lunch here.”

“Oh, right.” Steve is quiet for a minute. “You know, Tony doesn’t do this for everyone.”

“Oh, yeah. I know. Wish I could know why I’m here,” Peter laughs awkwardly, picking at the skin around his thumb. 

“You must be special.” 

They arrive at the lab, Steve walking with a certain calmness in his posture, one which makes Peter feel like a stupid anxious kid. He looks around the lab and feels his spider sense tingling, causing him to survey the room for danger. 

“Tony!”

“Huh? Oh, shit.”

“Don’t swear in front of children.”

Tony stands, running a hand through his hair and rolling his eyes. He looks at Peter and grins, quickly walking over to the two of them. 

“I can take it from here, capsicle.”

“Thank you, Mr. Captain America sir-“

“Steve is fine.” 

Peter feels his phone vibrate in his pocket quickly, but he ignores it, choosing to focus on Tony instead. He waits until Steve leaves, then gestures to a table he has set up. 

“You sit there.”

“Is this like, a physical, because I haven’t been to the doctor in years-“

“Down, boy. It’s just.. an evaluation, if you will. Calm the nerves. Do you want a shot or something?”

“I’m fifteen.”

“Oh, right. You’re young,” Tony wipes his palms on his jeans. “Shit. You’re young.”

Peter hops up on the table, kicking his legs out a little. He’s not short, but he is small, so his feet don’t touch the ground. He picks at his nails nervously. 

“So, just gonna take your blood pressure, check your heart, the whole shebang.”

“You’re a doctor?”

“Hell no.” Tony grabs a stethoscope and hangs it around his neck. “Shirt up.” He presses the end to his chest. 

Peter winces at the cold. “Sorry, kid. Hey, don’t remember these being here before.”

“They’re healing.”

“Well, your old ticker seems to be doing just fine. You have any problems breathing?”

“No.”

“That’s good.” Tony scribbles something down on his paper and grabs the blood pressure wrap. “So, how did this even happen?”

“Got bit.”

“On purpose?”

Peter shakes his head. “No. It was awful. I was sick for weeks and then all of a sudden I could lift busses.”

Tony raises an eyebrow and writes something down. “Here’s the fun part.”

He grabs a needle, waiting for Peter to hold his arm out, but the boy holds his forearm to his chest, narrowing his eyes. 

“This won’t hurt. I just need to see if you have some weird spidey DNA.”

“Needles hurt.”

“You know what else hurts? Venom. Killing you slowly from the inside out. Now, arm out.” 

Peter slowly holds his shaking arm out, flinching as Tony slides the needle in. The older man hesitates before rubbing his calloused thumb over Peter’s wrist, watching the blood fill up the vial before pulling it out and grabbing a bandaid. 

“You did good.”

“Is that a Paw Patrol bandaid?”

“All I had.” He sticks it to the inside of Peter’s elbow. “Good as new. Now, I know this feels like you’re a lab rat, so we won’t do any more physical stuff today. Just answer some questions, will ya?”

Peter stares down at the bandaid with a pout on his face. Tony notices and grabs his arm again, giving the area a light slap. Peter winces. 

“You’re fine. Now, are you sexually active?”

Peter turns bright red.

“Kidding. Approximately how much can you hold?”

“Three times my weight comfortably.”

“Define comfortably.”

“Without feeling like my organs are gonna fall out.”

“Good to know.” 

They go through a series of questions, Peter’s phone still burning his leg up. Nobody really texts him. Ned prefers to call, MJ prefers to not talk to people at all, and well, the only other person who texts him is standing in front of him. 

“Alright, kid. We’re done. For today. Want some dinner?”

“You don’t have to..”

“Psh. Don’t even bother.”

Peter pulls his phone out of his pocket as Tony orders food, checking his notifications. 

**_From: Unknown Number_ **

_ 2h ago _

_ So, Hawkeye, huh? _

Peter stares down in confusion, before it clicks. He rolls his eyes and starts typing back. 

**_To: Unknown Number_ **

_ how did u get my number _

He waits a couple minutes, watching as Steve comes down and pointedly avoids looking at Peter as they very loudly talk about him. 

**_From: Unknown Number_ **

_ I have my ways.  _

Peter saves the number and frowns. 

**_To: Harley_ **

_ what do u want  _

**_From: Harley_ **

_ Do you have the homework from science lol  _

Peter puts his phone back in his pocket, watching the two men argue for a minute. He knows they’re blissfully unaware that Peter can hear every word they say, so he hops off the table and looks around. He finds a notebook, filled with scribbles and different answers to an equation. Peter sits down at the table and grabs the pencil, running his eyes over the original problem. 

He remembers this. Peter has read it once in a math textbook he borrowed from the library. He switches onto a new page and prints the question out again, solving it quickly. He checks his answer, finding that it makes sense, and leans back in his chair. Tony walks back to him with a couple bags of Chinese food. 

“Kept my promise. Now, I want to see your suit after we eat. I’ve seen it in the clips and my god, it looks like a onesie. I’m already almost finished making a new version- what are you doing?”

Peter straightens his back instinctively. “Uh, I just- the answer to this was wrong so I just fixed it. Sorry.”

Tony sets the bags down and leans over beside Peter, skimming through the paper. “How did you do this?”

“Uh, you.. you put X in the wrong place and forgot to add it on later in the equation. It’s fine. I did that once in a midterm.”

Tony stares at him for a minute. “We didn’t even cover this in my university and grad school math classes.”

“I read a lot.”

Tony takes a second before placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Good job. I don’t know anyone, except maybe Banner, who could solve that. You’re smart, kid.”

Peter looks down bashfully and breathes in the scent of Chinese food. “Smells good.”

“Yeah. Let’s eat.”

-

Tony feels weird about sending Peter home. The kid insisted on leaving after they were done with their visit, saying how it was nice enough outside and he had to get to school early the next morning. But, as Steve once told him, you can’t just force people to do things in their best interest if they don’t want to. So, he sent the kid off with a jacket and two bags of leftover food. He also snuck in some money, but Peter doesn’t have to know it was him. 

He’s sitting at his desk, looking over Peter’s answer to the equation for the millionth time, when FRIDAY suddenly speaks. 

“Boss?”

“Hm?”

“I found something… interesting in Mr. Parker's blood sample.”

Tony puts the notebook down, directing his attention to the AI. 

“Radioactive poisoning? Ah, shit. I knew it.”

“No. Boss, do you have any kids you know about?”

“Do I have any.. lordy, FRI, I think I would know if I had any children.”

“Based on Mr. Parker’s blood, and the sample from yours that was updated last month, he is your son.”

Tony freezes. “My- what? Huh?”

“I can run a paternity test if you insist, but there is enough evidence to determine that Peter is your biological son.”

Tony stares at the ceiling, running a hand down his face. 

“Well, shit.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i struggled w the storyline but.. lmk what u think :)   
> thanks for reading loves <3


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy <3

Steve Rogers likes to think of himself as a “no bullshit” kind of man. He’s funny, kind, responsible, and a pretty damn good husband, if he does say so himself. He lists off his redeeming qualities as he makes his way toward Tony’s lab, half asleep and confused as to why Tony is still working. Steve checks his watch. 2:30 am. 

When he arrives, Tony is sitting at his computer, his back hunched in a way he knows Tony will complain about later. He doesn’t speak when he comes in, just moves toward his husband and rests a hand on his back, slowly making it’s way up his head. 

Steve runs his hand through Tony’s hair, scratching his scalp lightly. The shorter man exhales, leaning back in his chair and looking up at his husband, a small smile forming on his tired face. 

“Are you gonna come to bed?”

“Yeah, in a bit.”

“You need rest.”

“I’m fine.”

Steve sighs. “What’s going on with you?”

Tony takes a minute. “Have you ever put much thought into.. expanding our family?”

“Well, yes.”

“What about kids? Ever want them?”

“Tony, is this about the kid from before? Peter?”

Tony bumps his nose with his knuckle and adjusts his posture, typing something into his computer. 

“Mary Parker. Slept with her about 16 years ago, and forgot about her the next day. We were both blacked out and she was gone when I woke up.”

“Okay?”

“I just.. Peter’s mine, Steve.”

“Your what? Intern?”

“My kid.”

Steve is silent for a moment. “Like.. yours, yours?”

“Yes, Jesus Christ. He came out of me. Well, not really, but yeah.”

“How did that even happen?”

“Well, Cap, when a boy and girl lay in bed together, they take their clothes off and-“

“Stop.” Steve runs a hand down his face, taking a beat to breathe. “Are you gonna tell him?”

“I can’t.” Tony yawns quietly and powers his computer off. “He would be pissed that I didn’t tell him before.”

“I don’t really know what to say, Tony. I.. this is a lot.”

“Doesn’t have to change anything.”

“You can’t just.. pretend it’s not true.”

“Yes, I can,” Tony stands, grabbing Steve’s hand and pulling him toward the elevator. “And I will. Now, soldier, what do you say we get some sleep?”

-

Peter narrows his eyes, looking around the street for an easy target. It’s too late for many people to be out, but as the reviews say, he’s living in the city that never sleeps. A semi wealthy looking man exits the corner store, his face scrunched up in exasperation and disappointment as he shoves a handful of bills into his wallet, which then slides easily into his back pocket. Peter grins. Jackpot. 

As he approaches the quick-paced man, he tries to keep his steps light and easy, his hand reaching for the wallet, and he’s so close and so far all at once, until his phone starts ringing. 

The man turns, glaring at Peter as the boy stops in his steps, feigning innocent and confusion. He pulls his phone out and answers, not checking the caller ID. 

“What?”

“Jesus, Parker. You could lighten up.”

“Keener?”

“The one and only.”

“Why are you calling me this late, man?”

Harley snorts. “I just- I just wanna tell you that I think your hair is pretty.”

“Uh-“

“Pretty gay!” He starts laughing, his own immaturity seeping through the phone. Peter hears a weird ‘thump’ noise. “Whoops, almost fell. Ha.”

“You’re drunk.”

“No, I’m Harley.”

Peter rolls his eyes, keeping the amused smile off his face as if anyone were awake to judge him for it. “You should get some sleep.”

“Aw, you care about me.”

“No. I just need to make sure you don’t die. If your last call was to me they would drag me into an investigation.”

“Look at you- with.. with all your smart words. Investimation.”

“Go to sleep, Keener. And sober up before Monday, will ya?”

“I like our little conversations.”

“Goodnight.”

Peter doesn’t hang up right away, waits until he hears Harleys breathing even out over the phone before pressing the ‘end call’ button. There’s nothing weird about wanting to make sure the guy doesn’t die from alcohol poisoning, or at least that’s what he’s telling himself he’s doing.

Peter runs his eyes across the crowds walking along the street, consisting of shitfaced girls and sketchy guys passing things when they think nobody else is looking. It seems like the perfect time to suit up and do a patrol, but alas, Tony kept his suit from earlier and hasn’t mentioned giving it back any time soon. So, he settles down into his corner, pulling the blanket to his chin and closing his eyes, getting lulled to sleep by the vibrations of his hungry stomach. 

He just has to get through tonight. 

-

“You hungry?”

Peter shoots off a text to his group chat with Ned and MJ, shoving his phone in his hoodie pocket and looking up at Mr. Stark. 

“Uh, yeah. I could eat.”

“You could eat a lot, according to my recent studies.”

“You kinda sound like a mad scientist when you talk like that.”

“Zip it,” Tony chucks a couple take out menus toward him. “Pick what you want. Y’know, this companionship isn’t gonna work without honesty. How quick is your metabolism?”

“I dunno. Don’t really study myself,” Peter mumbles, trying to choose the least expensive restaurant. 

“We can figure that out later. I finished the suit. You have to help with some of the final details, though, since I obviously don’t know enough about your powers to make a completely accurate suit.”

Peter grins. “Can I see?”

Tony slides a briefcase over to him. “Happy trails, kid.”

“This is awesome, Mr. Stark!”

Tony gives him a smile, fiddling with a random tool he finds on his desk. “It’s getting cold out.”

“Mhm.” Peter places the briefcase down and returns his attention back to dinner. He decides on a Thai place, looking through their menu.

“You shouldn’t be outside. I.. I have dozens of rooms that are untouched by anyone, I think it would be in your best interest to stay here.”

“I couldn’t.. uhm..”

“Don’t make it a thing. It’s just.. I don’t like that you’re outside in the cold if I can prevent it.”

“It’s not that bad, Mr. Stark. Really. Plus, you already feed me, and give me new tech. I’m fine. Promise.”

“We can treat it like an apartment. I can rent out a guest room.”

“I can’t afford rent.”

“Then you make it up to me. Wash dishes. Help in the lab. I don’t know.” 

Peter thinks. It is cold, and especially with his powers, it’s getting harder and harder to stay warm at night. He slowly nods before sliding the menus back to Mr. Stark.

“Thank you.”

“No problemo, amigo. Oh, Thai. Nice choice.”

Tony is weird with Peter all night, or at least up until he drops the kid off at a neat looking guest room, just a couple rooms down from his own. He pats Peter on the shoulder and gives him a tight smile. 

“Night, Pete. Call FRI if you need anything.”

Peter settles on the bed, touching the duvet with careful fingers, and looking out at the view from the window in the corner of his room. He ponders over Mr. Starks behaviour, wondering if the man just feels guilty for sending him back on the street, or if there’s something deeper behind it. He can’t help but think he did something wrong. 

Peter can’t fight his brain for much longer as he flicks the lights off, stripping his jeans and shoes off before sliding under the covers. It’s the softest bed he’s slept on in months, he thinks, until he remembers. 

It’s the first bed he’s slept on in months. 

Peter closes his eyes, hugging a pillow to his chest and breathing in deeply. He could get used to this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this doesn’t make sense, no it didn’t ❤️ wrote this whole chapter in under 20 minutes with one eye open. i apologize for any mistakes but otherwise i hope you are enjoying this story so far. if u feel like it, comment something on your mind. i may not be good at writing stories whilst half asleep, but i’m not too shabby at advice. love u all ❤️❤️❤️


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for drugs and minor sexual content. just a little. sorry for disappearing on u guys lolz

“Peter! You look.. good.”

Peter fixes Ned with a look, raising his eyebrows. “As opposed to how bad I look regularly?”

“No, I didn’t mean- I just- you look healthy, man. Happy.”

“Yeah, I.. I got a job.”

“Job?” Ned asks, closing Peter’s locker for him and leaning against the rows of blue metal. Peter shrugs sheepishly and scratches the back of his neck. 

“You won’t believe me.”

“Spill!”

“Stark Industries. I’m an intern.” 

Ned gapes, his jaw dropping to the floor. He follows Peter as they walk down the hall, shooting off a million questions at once. 

“Do you get paid? Have you met Tony Stark? What about Captain America? Does the Hulk smell good? Holy shit, do you know Spider Man?”

Peter stands outside his math class, shaking his head. “I’ll talk to you at lunch, okay?”

“Wait, Peter.”

“What?”

“Is it true that Black Widow killed someone?”

“Probably, I dunno. Bye, Ned.”

-

Tony has been freaking out since he got the news. Actually, scratch that, he’s been freaking out since he was born, but more now than ever before. It takes him 2 weeks before he calls Rhodey. 

“Tony? Hey, man. What’s up?”

“Yeah, I need you down here. Pronto. When can I book the flight?”

“Slow down. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Well- something, but it’s not something I want to talk about over the phone.”

“I can’t just come randomly and leave-“

“You sound stressed. You been meditating like I told you? Doctor says you could get heart problems in a few years. Not as feeble as you once were, my friend.”

“Stop deflecting. Are you dying?”

“No.”

“Is someone else dying?”

“No.”

“Are you in trouble?”

“Kind of? Well, is it trouble if nobody else knows?”

“Shit. Did you cheat on Steve?”

“No, lordy. I’m not that bad of a person. Look, just- I’ll book a flight for tomorrow. Please. I need you.”

“You’re one lucky bastard.”

“Love you too.”

True to his word, Rhodey arrives the next day, punching in his access code to the lab and impulsively grabbing for his side when he sees a new figure working in the area. He’s about to start interrogating them, when the figure turns around, revealing a bright eyed kid. Rhodey relaxes and looks around. 

“Mr. Rhodes?”

“Where’s Tony? Who are you?”

“I’m, uh, Peter Parker, sir. Huge fan.”

“How did you get here?”

“I’m Mr. Stark’s intern.”

“Yeah, good try. Tony doesn’t believe in interns.”

The kid is about to protest when the door swings open, showing Tony carrying a bunch of loose tech equipment and a cup of coffee. He doesn’t even notice Rhodey, throwing the junk on the table in front of Peter and sipping his coffee. 

“Sort through it.”

“Uh..”

“Tony?”

The man turns, his eyes widening. He is stoic for a moment before grinning, walking over to Rhodey and pulling him in for a quick hug. “You look great.”

“Yeah, yeah. What’s going on?”

Tony scratches the back of his neck and looks at Peter. “You know what, kid, why don’t you go upstairs and… do teenager things. Sneak out. I don’t care.”

“I’ll just go to bed.”

“Yeah, ‘bed’,” Tony winks. “Don’t get too drunk.”

“It’s Tuesday, Mr. Stark. I’m going to sleep.”

“Mhm. Sure.” 

Peter gives Rhodey a wave and exits the room. Rhodey looks at him for a minute and then back to Tony, beating him to it. 

“He’s your kid?”

“No,” Tony shakes his head. “Well, yes, but no, but yeah. I guess. In some ways.”

“Thought you don’t believe in interns.”

“I don’t.”

“Tony, can you please explain to me why the hell you dragged me down here with a days notice?”

Tony sits down and massages his left wrist, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He gestures vaguely to the chair next to him, so Rhodey follows, sitting and leaning on his elbows to get closer to Tony. The man looks worked up, which is never good. 

“Yeah, the kids mine.”

“Wait, yours, like…”

“Yep. Me. My genes. Hey, at least he won’t bald before 40, right?”

“Tony..”

“He doesn’t know. Nobody does. Uh.. I think he would flip shit. Don’t need to stress him out even more. You know he goes to Midtown? Like, the crazy science school for geniuses? Should’ve known.”

“Tony.”

“Well, that’s a lie. Steve knows, told me I should tell him. I just don’t want to freak him out, ya know? Kid was homeless, he would hate me for leaving him on the street.”

“He wouldn’t hate you.”

“He has strong opinions. He’s a Stark.”

Rhodey shakes his head. “Then he’s also stubborn as hell and loyal to his family. Those are Stark traits. He might get upset you didn’t tell him earlier, but the longer you wait, the more it’ll sting, man.”

Tony sighs, running a hand down his face. He leans back and takes a deep breath. “I’m scared, Rhodes. I really want to help the kid.”

“Then tell him. It’s not too late to be a dad.”

“I wasn’t meant to be a dad. I had literally the worst training.”

“Howard’s dead, Tony. He can’t affect you now. You know how to be a good person, and deep down, you already want to be a dad to this kid. I can see it.”

“I’ll tell him. Soon. I just need a plan.”

“Well, that’s one thing you’ve never needed help with.”

“Stay for a couple days?”

Rhodey smirks a little. “Got nothing better to do than help your ass out.”

-

“Mr. Leeds, Ms. Jones, you two will be covering thermal energy. Mr. Keener and Mr. Parker, solar energy-“

Peter groans, dropping his face into his arms. He stays there for a moment then looks up, making eye contact with Harley, who shoots him a smirk. They get through the rest of class writing down the rubric for their grades, and after, Harley grabs his arm before he can leave. 

“So.”

“I can just do it, okay? Take the credit.”

“No, man. Not gonna be a dick,” Harley says, looking around. “Look, I’ll text you my address, you can come over after school. Sound good?”

“Uh, I don’t.. don’t have a ride.”

Harley rolls his eyes. “I’ll take you.”

“On your motorcycle?” Peter asks, fear creeping into his voice. He’s heard the horror stories. 

“Yes, princess, unless you need a limo.”

Peter blushes a little. “No, whatever. It’s fine.”

“See ya, Parker.”

Peter walks to his next class, grabbing his phone out of his pocket and opening his messages. 

**_To: Mr. Stark_ **

_ hey im going to someone’s house after school _

The response is almost immediate. 

**_From: Mr. Stark_ **

_ Alright. Have fun. _

**_To: Mr. Stark_ **

_ :^) _

Peter floats through the rest of the day, anxious for 2:45. Once the final bell rings, Peter grabs his stuff from his locker, standing awkwardly by the entrance. Harley bumps him with his elbow as he passes, nodding toward the bike parked a few minutes away. Peter follows him, looking around nervously, as if someone’s gonna take a photo and send it to Flash. 

“Calm down. You’re making me nervous.”

Peter frowns, standing to the side as Harley straddles the bike. It puts an image in his head he doesn’t  _ not  _ want to dissect. Harley puts a helmet on and grabs another one from his bag, handing it off to Peter. He slowly pulls it over his head, still staring at the boy. 

“You gonna come on?”

“Uh, yeah. Just..” he awkwardly maneuvers around, hopping up and leaving about an inch of space between him and Harley. 

“You’re gonna fall off, Parker.” Harley grabs his hands and wraps them around his waist, patting his arm. “There. Now maybe your brains won’t hit the pavement.”

“Maybe?”

They take off, Peter getting more and more pliant the further they go. He scooches a bit closer, crossing his arms around Harley’s torso and pressing his chest against him. Turns out, riding a motorcycle is pretty similar to web slinging, though this is making Peter far more nervous. 

“You good?” Harley calls at a red light, turning his head back a little. Peter nods against his back. 

“Yup. You’re going fast.”

“I can go faster,” he teases, revving the engine. Peter squeaks as he takes off, pressing his eyes shut. They arrive at Harley’s house in about 10 minutes, Harley hopping off the bike and holding a hand out to Peter. The boy looks around impulsively before taking it, allowing him to help him up. Harley gently takes the helmet off, smirking at Peter’s flushed appearance. 

“It gets easier.”

“That thing is a death trap.”

“What a way to go.” He grins, walking up to his house. He opens the door and stretches, dropping his bag on the floor and kicking his shoes off. Peter does the same, checking out the interior of the house. It’s comfy. 

“Want something to eat?”

“Sure.”

“So, for the project,” Harley’s voice trails off as he enters the kitchen, rambling on about presentations and powerpoints. Peter stops in front of a picture frame, unable to stop the small fond smile that creeps on his face as he looks at a photo of a baby Harley. He was a cute kid. 

Harley walks over to him, holding a frozen pizza. “This’ll do?”

“Yeah.” He nods, feeling awfully small. Harley puts it in the oven and takes Peter upstairs, leading the two to his bedroom. Peter sits on the floor. 

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“The project.”

“Oh. Yeah. I’m down for whatever.”

Harley waggles his eyebrows. “Whatever, huh?”

“Jeez, you know what I mean.” Peter leans back against his bed, scanning his eyes over the contents of his room. It’s exactly how he imagined. Slightly messy, covered wall to wall in posters. It’s nice. “Your parents home?”

“Parent. And no. Business trip. Plus, my little sister is at with my grandma for the week for some fuckin’ reason, so this is my house now.”

“Wow, I’m impressed. Homeowner at 16.”

“17.”

Peter furrows his eyebrows. “You’re 17?”

“Just turned, yeah.”

“But you’re in my grade..”

“Yeah. So what? Got held back in, like, elementary school.”

“Oh. That’s cool.”

Harley rolls his eyes, sitting on his bed. He waits a couple beats before moving over a bit. “You don’t have to sit on the floor, you know.”

They discuss the project for a while, snacking on the pizza and listening to music. The tension melts away, and for a little bit, it’s almost like the two are friends. 

“Hey,” Harley shoves him with his foot at around 7. “Wanna smoke?”

Peter nods slowly, knowing regularly, he would never think about doing drugs, but he finds that some part of him wants to impress Harley. It’s a scary thought. 

Once they have burned through a couple joints, they lie down on his bed, Peter’s head by Harley’s feet as they giggle through conversation. They talk about everything and nothing for a few hours, time blending into nothingness. Peter decides he likes being high. 

“What are you doing for Christmas?” Peter asks from his spot on the bed. 

“I dunno. Probably chill by myself.”

“You can’t be by yourself for Christmas!”

“Did it last year. Turned out fine.” 

Peter sits up, frowning. He crosses his arms over his chest. “You can come celebrate with me.”

“Nah, Parker. Don’t need to intrude like that.”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun! We can- we can swap gifts!”

Harley sits up as well, leaning back against the headboard and fixing him with a glance. “That sounds pretty gay.”

“You’re gay.”

“Bi.”

“I’m gay.”

Harley raises an eyebrow. “And, there it is. The verbal coming out. Proud of you, buddy.”

Peter giggles. He doesn’t know if it’s the weed, or the stress of the last few months, but he feels.. different. He feels comfortable here, with Harley, his brain managing to forget his anger toward him. Peter takes a deep breath and leans forward, catching Harley’s jaw with one hand and balancing himself with the other.

He quickly looks up, trying to find any disdain in Harley’s eyes, but when he can’t find any, he connects their lips, the breath getting knocked from his chest. Once he feels Harley kissing him back, he deepens it, letting his hands go to Harley’s hair. 

It’s everything good he can imagine wrapped into one. Harley grips his waist and pulls him close, only breaking the kiss to catch his breath. He’s not sure how they end up with Peter on his back and Harley on top of him, but by no means are either of them complaining. It’s going great until Peter’s phone rings, causing the two to break apart with a groan. 

“Just- ignore it.”

Peter would, he really really would, but he knows it’s probably Tony. He slowly pushes Harley off him and grabs the phone, answering. 

“What.”

“Please tell me that’s not how you always answer your phone.”

Peter closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. The realization of what he was just doing with Harley is setting in, and he registers that his high is most likely wearing off. He clears his throat. 

“Sorry, sorry. What’s up?”

Tony scoffs a little on the other end. “Now, listen, I’m not trying to be all possessive and shit, but it is almost midnight, and though we haven’t really discussed curfews, I am wondering if you’re coming home tonight.”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah.”

“Alright. You need me to pick you up?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“Alright, kid. Text me your location.”

Peter hangs up, telling Tony where he is and slowly turning to Harley. The boy is sitting crossed legged, his face red, and is staring down at his hands. Peter scratches his wrist gently and fixes his hair. 

“Uh, I gotta go now.”

“Okay. Yeah. Uhm, your stuff is still downstairs.”

“Yeah.” Peter nods. Harley awkwardly walks him downstairs, stopping every few seconds to adjust his clothes or hair. Peter grabs his backpack and pulls his shoes on, standing stiffly by the door. 

“See you at school.”

“Yeah. Night.”

“Night.”

Peter walks outside, sliding into the passenger's seat of Tony’s car and staring out the window. Tony looks at him for a couple seconds and coughs. 

“You smell like shit.”

“Yeah, well…”

“You’re sober now though?”

“I think.”

“First time you get high?” He asks, starting the car and driving. Peter fiddles with his thumbs. 

“Yeah.”

“Good. Make it your last.”

Peter rolls his eyes and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He can almost still feel Harley. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

Tony sighs a little, stopping at a red light. “You can talk to me.”

“I know. I’m fine.”

Tony has never been one to push, especially on people he isn’t insanely close with, knowing the least bit about boundaries. “Alright. If you’re not fine later, though, I’m your guy.”

“Thanks.”

Tony takes them home, playing the music from the radio softly. Peter ignores the tingling feeling in his stomach. 

_ He’s fine.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i say this like every chapter but sorry for being inactive, i’m gonna try and post more of this im just feeling quite unmotivated yk? love u guys


	8. Chapter Eight

“Tony…”

Steve shakes his husband, a frown on his face. The third night in a row the man has woken him up with his distressed mumbling. 

“Tones?”

Tony sits up, catching his breath quickly. “I- Peter, he-“

“Peter’s okay, Tony. Just breathe.”

Tony takes a couple deep breaths, resting his face against Steve’s bare chest. Steve has been on some mission for the last couple weeks, and when he came home, he expressed how greatly disappointed he was that Peter still wasn’t aware of the… parental situation. Whatever. The kid was going on holidays soon, and he could tell him then. 

Still, Tony has been acting weird. On edge all the time, having nightmares, and every time they have something to do with Peter. Peter dying, Peter getting hurt, it’s always him. 

“What’s going on with you, Tones?”

“I don’t.. I don’t know. I just keep thinking. Peter’s my kid. What if something happens to him? What if something had happened already and I never found out. What if I have more kids out there that I don’t know about?”

Steve rubs a hand down his back. “Then we’ll deal with them if it comes along.”

“I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”

Steve shakes his head and kisses his forehead. “You’ve changed, Tony. When I married you for your past, too.”

Tony exhales slowly and closes his eyes as Steve pulls the two to lay down together, Steve’s gently humming lulling him to sleep. 

-

Tony wakes up at 5, tangles himself out of Steve’s arms, and runs down to the lab, where he promptly spends the rest of the day. Eventually at around 9, Rhodey drags him upstairs, pushing him down near the kitchen where Bucky and Steve are preparing dinner. 

“You two look cute. Domestic.”

“Fuck off, Stark. Who’s making food for your sorry ass?”

Tony glares at Bucky, rolling his eyes and settling back in his chair. He grumbles under his breath when Bucky slides him a bowl of soup, pressing an over exaggerated kiss to his cheek. 

“Yeah, thanks, dear. Always knew you would be a good housewife.”

“God, Steve, why did you pick this one?”

Steve smiles fondly. “I picked good.”

“Yeah, just ‘cause you’re unhappy with Bird-Man doesn’t give you the right to impose on my healthy relationship with your homoerotic best friend.”

“We kissed once.”

Steve squints a little. “Ehh.. few more times. But that is far in the past.”

“Just let me know if you’re ever down for a threesome, Barnes, my bed welcomes all.”

“Ew.” Peter stands behind Tony, dressed in his spiderman suit. “I’m gonna go patrol for a bit, that okay?”

“What time is it?”

Peter shuffles his feet, the red a nice contrast to the white tiles on the floor. “Uh, like 930.”

“And what time are you gonna be home?”

“Midnight.”

Tony shoves a spoonful of soup in his mouth. “11:00, but nice try.” He runs his hand through his hair then gestures to shoo Peter away. “Be safe, kid. Lots of weird pedophiles out there.”

“I’m trying to protect people  _ from  _ the pedophiles, Mr. Stark.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Once Peter leaves, Bucky scoffs a little. “God, you act just like his father.”

“Wait-“ Tony turns to Steve. “You told him?”

“I told him it was the kid from the elevator. Not the.. thing you’re thinking about.”

“What thing?” Bucky tilts his head. Tony sighs. 

“It’s called a secret identity for a reason, Cap. And nothing.”

Steve shrugs. “He won’t tell anyone.”

Rhodey pipes in, almost just remembering he’s involved in this conversation. “Maybe that’s not a good idea…”

“Wait..” Bucky stops, a smile appearing on his face as he puts two and two together. “You’re his dad?”

Tony places his head in his hands. “Well, yes, technically- actually, in every sense, yes.”

“Holy shit. Is that why he lives here now?”

“He lives here because he’s homeless. Tony hasn’t told him yet. Isn’t going to either,” Rhodey supplies. Tony rolls his eyes and sits up straight. 

“Tony, that’s not a good plan-“

“Yes, he’s my kid, but he doesn’t have to know! Things can just stay as they are now-“

“Tony..”

“Just because Peter is biologically my son doesn’t mean we have to change everything.”

Tony finally realizes everyone is looking behind him, so he turns to see the intruder, freezing when his eyes meet Peter’s. The kid has his mask pulled down and in his hand, a look of betrayal and confusion painted on his face. 

“Oh- shit, uh, what are you doing here?”

“Forgot to reload my shooters- wait, don’t distract me. What was that about?”

“Nothing-“

“Can’t lie yourself out of this one.”

Tony glares at Rhodey, who raises his hands up defensively and returns his attention back to his own food. Bucky and Steve look at each other for a moment before turning around and pretending they can’t hear anything. 

“I’m your son?”

“Well, I mean-“

“And you never told me?”

“I just found out.”

Peter shakes his head slowly, stuffing the vials of web fluid and pulling his mask on. He walks back to the elevator, Tony standing up to follow him, stuttering over excuses until the door shuts on his face. He jumps when Steve places a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away. 

“It’s better he know now.”

“Is it?” Tony groans, breathing out shakily. It’s awkwardly quiet for a minute before Bucky speaks. 

“I mean, all he had to do was look in a mirror. Shocking image. Uncanny, really-“

“Shut the fuck up, Barnes.”

“Roger that.”

-

Peter’s hands shake uncontrollably as he swings, almost falling onto the pavement multiple times, his vision too blurry to patrol properly. How the hell could Tony not tell him something like that?

It’s been a couple hours of mindlessly moving around the city, attempting to process this information, until it finally hits him, and now he grunts as he catches himself at the last moment, crying harshly behind the mask. 

Even in his unsteady mindset, Peter recognizes the fact that it’s not safe to be swinging right now, and he can’t go back to the tower, so he goes to the only other place that feels safe. 

There’s not a lot of places in New York where you can be without a mask on in Peter’s case. Alleys, check. Bathrooms, check (most of the time). Out in public where people are walking, not check. But he can’t find it in him to care anymore. 

Peter bangs on the door, ripping his mask off and heaving a little as the tears stream down his face. He doesn’t stop hitting the door until it swings open, an angry face softening immediately as he recognizes who’s here. 

“Parker?”

“I.. I didn’t know where else to go.”

Harley looks him up and down, opening his mouth then immediately closing it. He opens the door wider and helps Peter inside, going into the kitchen and grabbing a mug. He fills it up with coffee and brings it to Peter, a frown indented on his face. 

“Are you okay? Is someone following you?”

Peter only cries harder, so Harley goes to the closer near the door and pulls out a gun, probably one he brought from Tennessee, because though Peter’s seen a few guns around the compound, he didn’t think Harley would have one. Before he can exit and kill a pedestrian, Peter forces himself to speak, shaking his head. 

“No- no. It’s fine. I’m not- I’m not being followed.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Harley eyes him warily and checks the door again, locking it and pulling the blind over the window. He walks back and sits down next to Peter, the gun still resting on the table pointing away from him, and turns to look at him. 

“What happened?”

“I don’t.. you can’t say anything.”

Harley swears he won’t, so Peter tells him everything. Explains the uniform and how he was bitten a year ago, explains how his aunt died and he was living on the street, tells him about Tony and Steve and the news he just heard a few hours ago. A good reflection on Harley’s part is that the boy doesn’t speak, just listens patiently and nods along. 

“And- and he didn’t even wanna tell me. Because he’s too fucking embarassed to even think about owning up to it.”

Harley frowns. “Do you want to know my opinion?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s probably scared, too. Thought you would be embarrassed or something.” 

“He’s Tony Stark, how could I be embarrassed of him?”

“Dude, I’ve seen his porn.”

“Ew, Harley, that’s my dad!”

Harley smirks, relaxing a little when Peter looks up and gives him a sheepish smile. 

“I’m just saying. He has his own monsters. Probably didn’t want to drag you in, because you know what, if this gets out, you’re not your own person. You’ll be Tony Stark's kid and nothing else.”

Peter leans back on the couch, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. Harley pulls a foot up so he’s sitting in a sort of half-criss cross position. He reaches out and grabs Peter’s other hand, massaging it gently. 

“Now that that’s out of your system, why don’t you tell your superhero dad that you’re staying here tonight, and we can figure this out?”

“I don’t want to talk to him.”

“Well I don’t want him busting down my door and shooting me with his lasers, so get to it.”

Peter shakily grabs his phone and clicks on Tony’s contact, feeling the anxiety come back to his stomach when he presses the call button. Before he can speak, he shoves the phone by Harley, who grabs it and carefully puts it to his ear. 

“Peter? Holy shit, you can’t just run like that and not tell me where you’re going. You’re damn lucky I have a tracker in your suit or else-“

“Uh, this isn’t Peter. This is his friend. He- uh, he’s gonna stay at my place tonight.”

Tony is silent for a moment. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. I’ve got him.”

“Look, just tell him I’m sorry. And that I want to talk to him.”

“Will do.”

Harley hangs up first, and Peter gapes at him, because who the hell would hang up on Tony Stark first, but then he realizes Harley has that certain protective look in his eyes, and he wants to kiss the boy and sleep in his arms and do everything he convinced himself he couldn’t. 

“Now, can we please talk about how you’re literally Spiderman, because I need to fangirl for a moment.”

“God…”

“Where do the webs come from? And can you walk on the ceiling?”

“Harley..”

Harley takes the hint and drops the topic, putting on a movie on the TV and wrapping his arm around Peter, who snuggles into his side and sniffles. 

“Tony Stark is your fucking dad, dude.”

“It is pretty cool, I guess…”

“He’s kind of an asshole though. I mean, I can beat him up for you if you want.”

Peter nuzzles his face deeper into Harley, scoffing. “Yeah, sure. I'd love to see that.”

Harley turns his head to the side and presses his nose to Peter’s ear. “You know I’m gonna need to see some of your Spiderman tricks, right?”

“I know.”

“Cool. Just so long as we’re on the same page.”

**Author's Note:**

> hiii! i hope you guys enjoy haha. comments give me motivation to let me know what you think!


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